Aizawa stumbled back, looking flustered by Ashida’s lariat-like question.
“E-Eh?! You’re really asking that so out of the blue?”
“Why not, why not? You’re totally head over heels for Sajocchi now anyway, right? Right?”
“Ummm...?”
The air grew strangely tense. I watched, intimidated, as I noticed Ashida’s expression. She was wearing a smile that, much like Aizawa’s lately, didn’t show even a flicker of genuine emotion. Is this... is a catfight about to break out? Wait, why? Why!?
“W-Well, it’s because... I guess I just had some flaws (that bastard was pathetic), you know?”
Ooh, my Modern Girl Sensor just went off. By playing the tragic heroine, she was using a line designed to create a narrative where her own self-reflection made the person who dumped her look like the villain. Pretty crafty. You’re cute today too, Aizawa.
But was it possible that Ashida wouldn’t notice something even I could pick up on? Personally, I thought Ashida’s intuition was on the sharper side.
“Huh... you’re so devoted. The ex-boyfriend who dumped a girl like you, Aizawa-san, must be the absolute worst!”
“Y-Yeah, I guess so.”
I mean, it was going exactly as she planned, but... wasn't that a bit too direct? It was like applying another layer of foundation over a perfectly finished face; it felt almost gossipy. I guess girls really do come alive when they’re badmouthing men...
“But it’s okay now, because you have Sajocchi! Just ditch that enemy of women and find happiness with Sajocchi!”
“...”
“W-Wait, Kei...”
Perhaps thinking she’d gone too far, Natsukawa grabbed the shoulder of the fired-up Ashida to try and stop her. Having been told whatever Ashida pleased, Aizawa kept her eyes closed and her head down, her shoulders trembling. Was she regretting how much her own words had been exaggerated...?
I didn't really get it, but I knew one thing. Natsukawa was a goddess. I wasn't wrong. Yeah.
“...Don’t.”
“Eh?”
“Could you please... not speak so poorly of my ex-boyfriend?”
With a sharp glint in her eyes, Aizawa glared straight at Ashida. Uncharacteristically, she didn’t elongate the ends of her words. I could tell she was being dead serious. So, this was Aizawa’s true feelings.
After dropping that one cold sentence, Aizawa hurried out of the classroom. In the end, she’d barely talked to me at all. She’d just come by to press her chest against my back. Man, that was the best...
“Aren’t you going to go after her, Sajocchi?”
“No way, she’s scary.”
“Wow, what a chicken... but you’re probably right.”
“...”
I liked Aizawa because she was cute. But it definitely wasn’t a romantic feeling; at most, I considered it a reward that such a cute girl would even talk to me. I had no intention of sacrificing myself for her sake.
However, it would be a nuisance to keep getting dragged into trouble like this. Honestly, I didn’t think Ashida needed to do something that risked starting a fight like that, either. Realistically speaking, staying a passive observer probably wasn’t the smartest choice anymore.
But thanks to Ashida, I at least learned that Aizawa didn’t hate Arimura-senpai yet. If she did, she wouldn’t have defended him like that. I didn’t quite understand her methods, but I should be grateful to Ashida for her hard work.
I could probably break through this situation now.
Lunch break. Aizawa didn’t come to the classroom. Without letting it bother me, I headed toward the gazebo behind the school building. As if my wish had been granted, Aizawa was sitting there, not even eating. Yay! You were waiting for me! ...I should just go die.
“Sorry about our Suudora earlier, Aizawa.”
“S-Suudora?”
Aizawa looked up at me with wide eyes, looking truly puzzled. Damn, she was cute. I can’t believe Arimura-senpai would ignore her for another woman. Well, if that other woman was Natsukawa Aika, I guess it couldn't be helped; I could make a special exception and forgive him. Though I didn’t know how Aizawa felt about it.
I sat down a short distance away, as usual. In contrast to her normal self, Aizawa lacked her high energy. She sat there in silence, looking depressed. Until just a moment ago, I never imagined Aizawa could have such a serious side.
“...Sajou-kun. You don’t really talk about Natsukawa-san when you’re with me, do you?”
“I was raised to believe you shouldn’t talk about other girls when you’re with a girl.”
Aizawa gave a weak laugh and played along with my joke. I’d had nothing but suspicions about her, but she was showing glimpses of being a goddess in her own right. Seriously, why is she acting so devoted? This is the cutest she’s been since we met.
“But you like her, don’t you? Natsukawa-san.”
“You can tell after all?”
“There isn’t a single person who doesn’t know. You were always together.”
“Guh...”
Stop, those words are effective against me. My embarrassing past of repeatedly acting without considering my own potential or station. Please, just don’t mention that and leave it alone. Now, I simply worship her as a fan, swinging my penlight. Heave-ho, heave-ho.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know about you and your ex-boyfriend, either.”
“I see... you’re right.”
I didn’t know, though. Talk about being a hypocrite. At the time, I really only had eyes for Natsukawa. Only one woman was reflected in my vision... This is the kind of thing that makes you fall into despair if you say it while looking in a mirror.
...Now then, let’s organize the situation.
Aizawa still hasn’t been able to forget Arimura-senpai. In fact, she probably still loves him. And yet, they say Aizawa was the one who initiated the breakup. Then, there were the words she likely heard from Arimura-senpai’s own mouth: the person he likes is “Natsukawa from the first years.” This series of events likely started from that.
Aizawa and Arimura-senpai were a very close couple. But one day, the ugliness inherent in men triggered, and Arimura-senpai fell in love with Natsukawa at first sight. It couldn't be helped; she’s cute, beautiful, and cool.
Noticing this, Aizawa had a fight with Arimura-senpai and, despite not wanting to, initiated the breakup. She probably hated that he wouldn't look only at her. And Arimura-senpai, feeling his own worthlessness, easily complied with Aizawa’s demand. That led to Aizawa’s recent behavior. Well, it's all just a guess.
In any case, Aizawa Rena came to hold a grudge against Natsukawa Aika.
That’s exactly why Aizawa set her sights on me, since I was near Natsukawa. She probably mistook Natsukawa Aika and Sajou Wataru for a couple and tried to steal me away. To her, someone like me, who looks like nothing more than an average guy, must have seemed very easy to steal. Yes, I was about to be stolen.
The reason she made her move while the information was still vague and uncertain was the same reason I was so devoted to Natsukawa. Aizawa probably couldn't see anyone but Arimura-senpai, either.
She thought that if she stole Sajou Wataru, Natsukawa Aika would be hurt and saddened. Eventually, Aizawa would even discard me, and her revenge plot would be complete when their relationship was torn apart.
“Sajou-kun, you probably don’t care about someone like me anyway... since you have Natsukawa-san.”
“...”
The resignation Aizawa was showing. Precisely because she also had someone she loved, she felt she couldn’t change my heart. She likely intended to read my mind based on her own romantic experience. Though I did waver quite a bit.
So, how should I interact with her after this? For someone as painfully average as me, the hurdle was a bit too high. If I said I did care, I’d just be an indecisive guy who was interested in two girls. More importantly, who do I think I am? What was with that “who do I think I am” thought?
What could I, Villager A (in the city), even do? I didn’t know. What had I been doing all this time? Following Natsukawa around. What even was that?
I didn’t have any life lessons to preach to anyone, nor did I have any special philosophy of my own. That’s right, I didn’t have anything special like that. What should a guy like this do to settle everything peacefully? I only had a limited hand to play.
“...”
That’s it. I’ll just drag Aizawa into this bottomless swamp—Natsukawa—too.